SOMETIMES THE BLUES IS JUST A PASSING BIRD EP - The Tallest Man On Earth (2010)

Feeling every bit like a continuation of the sessions that produced his excellent second LP The Wild Hunt, this short, five-track EP of skeletal, image-rich ballads manages to sustain that album's high quality through most of its duration before finally succumbing to the feel of an outtakes collection on its final two songs.

As always with The Tallest Man On Earth, the similarity in vibe and vocal-phrasing to early 60s acoustic Dylan is striking, but of particular note here is the track The Dreamer, which finds The Tallest Man switching to electric guitar for the first time to wondrous effect.

And while I wouldn't recommend Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird ahead of The Wild Hunt or The Tallest Man's equally appealing debut Shallow Grave as a starting point for first time listeners, returning fans should definitely check this EP out.

Over the last few years, this young Swede has been nothing but pure gold.

Status: Solid Recommend.

Cherry Picker's Best Bets: Little River, The Dreamer.

Here's a live, on-air performance of The Dreamer.

Component Breakdown:

1. Little River - 8

2. The Dreamer - 9

3. Like The Wheel - 8

4. Tangle In This Trampled Wheat - 6

5. Thrown Right At Me - 6

Intangibles - Average.

What are your thoughts on The Tallest Man On Earth's Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird?  Let readers know.